The Cass County Sun (Linden, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 10, Ed. 1 Tuesday, March 4, 1924 Page: 3 of 8
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of Malopo
VICTOR ROUSSEAU
♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Copyright by W G. Chapman
V
"NO, MR. GARRETT"
8YNOI'SI3. — Wlnton Garrett,
twenty-live and Juat out of col-
lege. calls by appointment on
Archie Garrett, his New York
cousin and executor, to receive
*his inheritance of $100,000. Ar-
chie, honeat, an easy mark and a
fool for luck, assures Wlnton
that he Is practically a million-
aire, as he has Invested all but
$10,000 In a rubber plantation In
either the East or West Indies
and In a controlling interest In
the Big Malopo diamond mine,
somewhere or other In fiouth
Africa, sold him as a special fa-
V«r by a Dutch promoter named
De Witt. Winton, en route to his
mine, finds the town of Taunge
vrll<Uy excited over a big strike
at Malopo. Including the 95-carat
"De Wl.tt diamond." Two coach
passengers are a disreputable old
prospector, Daddy Seaton, and his
daughter Sheila. On the journey
a passenger, who turns out to be
De Witt himself, Insuit* Sheila.
Wlnton fights De Witt and
knock* him out. Sheila tells him
to turn back. She says that her
father Is a broken English army
officer, who has killed a man and
is therefore In De Witt's power,
that De Witt Is all-powerful, be-
ing backed by Judge Davis, presi-
dent of the diamond syndicate
and also the resident magistrate
and Judge of the native protec-
torate. Wlnton finds Malopo In
a turmoil, both over the strike
and the theft of the De Witt dia-
mond. He discloses his Identity.
He finds Sheila is cashier In a
restaurant.
THE CASS COUNTY SUN
CHAPTER IV
—5—
Framed.
He rJw her start, and then bend
hastily over the money she was reck-
oning. But the flush that overspread
her face showed her confusion, and
when, compelled by Wlnton's presence,
she raised her head, her mortification
was too evident for Wlnton's feelings.
Suddenly he understood the mean-
lug of her self-depreciatory words In
the coach. A glance at the smirking
waitresses, who were plainly of a
class that had drifted to the fields for
adventure and predatory purposes
showed him the humiliation of the
girl's position. He remembered what
she had told him about two kinds of
women; and In a flash he understood
more than he could have learned in
the course of a detailed explanation.
He saw the Invisible class barrier
that recognized two and only two con-
ditions. On one side you were of the
chosen; on the other, you shared the
circumstances of the most vile. There
were no subtle nuances of station here,
nothing by which a decent woman was
recognized as such, unless she came
to Malopo In the care of some man of
Independent means.
And a flood of pity surged over the
young man. He strode impulsively to-
ward the desk.
"Miss 8eaton I" he exclaimed. "I—"
She shook her head In vexation.
"You must go away, Mr. Garrett," she
Bald.
"I want to see you, to speak with
you."
"I dare not. Please go away I"
Her distress was so evident that
Wlnton could do nothing but obey.
"At least let me meet you afterward,"
he pleaded. "Let me walk home with
you. I shall wait for you on the
stoep."
"If only you'll' go away now—"
begged Sheila.
Winton went to a table. As he sat
down he was conscious of the glance
of the hotel proprietor, who stood near
the entrance. The fellow was watch-
ing Wlnton and appraising him. Wln-
ton snw the waitresses glancing at him
and smiling. And then be understood
still more than before.
The flashy women in the Continental
dining room were there much less for
their ability to wait than to draw cus-
tomers. And Sheila, In the cashier's
eat, was the particular magnet of the
place. And Winton might be a "find."
The proprietor was Using hint op ■■
a potential captive of his enshler. He
was estimating him in terms of ponnds
and shillings brought to the bar of
the Continental. The waitresses, al-
w«r« nlert for new victims with money,
were watching him, too.
Wlnton understood Sheila's shame
to the full. It was his now, and it
overwhelmed him. He must get the
girl away ."rom that place. Not for an
tnstant <lld It occur to him to doubt her.
He saw the desperation that bad driv-
en her to her employment, tied to a
drunken, good-for-nothing father, In a
land where women wero of two kinds
alone, tbe parasites and the houiw-
makers.
He did not raise bis eyes to the desk
aguin, but ate his meal hurriedly.
Ignoring the friendly approaches of
his waitress, and went out upon the
stoep. He eut down, looking across
the market square. The sun had set,
and darkness was coming on with the
swiftness of those low latitudes. He
begun planning busily for Sheila and
her father.
He must discover what hold De Witt
had over Daddy Seaton. If he could
break that bond and restore the old
man's self-respect tbe beginning would
have been made.
"Well, it's a fine evening, ain't It,"
said u voice beside him.
Winton swung round, to see the little
man whom he had noticed before bup-
per stundlng against the wall of the
hotel. He started. How long the man
had been there he could not imagine,
but he felt almost as if his thoughts
had been laid bare.
The man dropped into the chair be-
side him. "And what do you think of
this country?" he continued, fixing
Winton with bis black eyes. "Strang-
er, ain't you? I spotted you as soon as
you came in this afternoon.."
"Yes, I'm a stranger," answered Win-
ton curtly.
"There ain't many Americans In this
country yet, but they won't be long
coining. You always find 'em where
the money Is," said the ilttle man. "In-
terested In a claim?"
"I might be," answered Wlnton. "As
a rule I keep my affairs to myself."
"Oh, no offense," said the little man
hastily. "We're all here for the money,
uin't we? Of course, you're dead right
to tuka that stand. You don't know
me and 1 don't know you. Town's full
of rogues and L D. B. men, anyway.
That was a smart trick getting away
with the De Witt stone, eh? But the
police will prove too smart for thoHe
fellows—If It ain't a lie."
Wlnton said nothing. He disliked
the little man intensely. He felt un
utmospheie of stealth and moral un-
cleanness exuding from blm, and the
little ma*, was getting on Wlnton's
nerves by the way he fidgeted, first
with one arm and then with the other;
then with one leg and then with the
other.
"This L D. B. game now—yon've
heard of it, I suppose, even though you
are u stranger? Illicit diamond buy-
ing—it's as old as the first diamond
claim pegged out in Klmberiey. Sev-
en years on the breakwater at Cape
Town to buy diamonds that way, and
most of the big men in this country
started In that game. Perfectly re-
spectable now, and they ought to have
the convict brand stamped all over
them. But it's a temptation, when a
Knitlr laborer knows more ways of
hiding a stone than any white man
could think of. Takes a shrewd com-
pound manager to keep tab on them.
They used to swallow them, but we
countered that. Then they'd cut holes
in their skin and bury them, till we
started the medical examination as
well as the dally search. Then they
hid them in their dogs, and we shut the
dogs out of the compounds. There
was one fellow, a dentist, used to stop
their teeth with them. And that game
wasn't worked out before they had a
new trick.
"Yes, Malopo's a queer place," he
continued. "Between you and me, I
don t believe that De Witt stone was
picked up here at all. De Witt brought
it up from Klmberiey and planted It on
the Big Malopo claim. That's what
most people are saying. Just an ad-
vertising trick to boom his stock, and
the sume with the stealing. That stone
wasn't stolen."
"See here I" cried Wlnton, goaded to
exasperation. "What In the nume of
thunder "do you mean by "calling the
Big Malopo Mr. De Witt's? What has
Mr. De Witt to do with it?"
The little man laughed and nudged
Wlnton Jovially in the side. The touch
of his fingers against Wlnton's coat
was almost Intolerable. Winton moved
his chair away.
"Now it's you who are asking ques-
tions," said the little man. "You know
what you know and 1 know what I
know, eh?"
lie chuckled, rose up, and walked
away. Whatever the object of bis
address might have been, it had suc-
ceeded In stinging Wlnton in his ten-
derest place. Everybody In Malopo
seemed to take it for granted that De
Witt already owned the Big Mulopo.
lfiven Ned Burns had taken the stone
to De Witt. And it had been placed
on exhibition in the Syndicate bank.
Winton wus raging. He meant to
show Malopo who owned the claim,
and he had forgotten all bis warnings
about being cautious.
A mob of men from the dining room
came out upon the porch, laughing and
joking. Inside the hotel Wlnton heard
two in altercation, the subject of their
dispute being, apparently, one of the
waitresses. The meal was over. Wln-
ton rose and looked through the door-
way. Then he saw Sheila putting on
her hat beside the cashier's desk.
A man spoke to her «s she left the
room, but she walked past him, md
went down the steps before Wlnton
could Intercept her. He follow** her.
and as be did so he heard one of the
men on the porch make a Jesting re-
mark about him to a companion.
Winton did not heed it Vo caught
up with the girl at the corner of the
block. "Miss Seutonl" he began.
She turned and stopped, "ilr. Gar-
rett—" she began.
Fou asked me to go away, and I
did so. 1 thought you would allow
Ulte-"
What is it that yon want?" asked
Sheila.
"I want to help you. I know that
you are friendless here, that you ore
doing work which Is unsulted to you.
I know that you were not born for this
sort of life. I want to be your friend,
and your father's."
"A hundred men have said that to
me since I came to Mulopo," answered
the girl bitterly.
"I mean it."
"You mean that you are quixotic
enough to wish to do a kindness with-
out any return. No, Mr. Garrett. And
I want you to forget that you ever met
me."
She turned again and began walking
quickly along the dark street, but Wln-
ton kept at her side.
"But you are unreasonable," he cried.
Miss Seaton, surely you are not so
rich in friendships that you can re-
ject one which Is disinterested,"
"Mr. Garrett," she answered, stop-
ping once more and looking him square-
ly In the face, "I am not so friendless
as you think. And I do not accept
friends out of pity. If you are a gen-
tleman, you will not speak to me again,
not notice me. In the Continental, or
anywhere. Good night; and let this
be good-by."
lie watched her until her figure was
lost In the murky mazes of the foul
streets that stretched toward the des-
ert. His heart sank. There was noth-
ing more that he could do, then. He
hated Malopo now; he wished he had
never come.
Looking back toward the single elec-
tric light that stood at the cormer of
the market square, he fancied that he
perceived the figure of the iittle man
who had talked with him upon the
stoep of the hoi^l. He was standing
with another, pointing after him.
Wlnton strode away. He had en-
tirely forgotten Burns' warning; and if
he had remembered It would not have
made any difference. He wanted to
get out toward the desert again, to
be alone.
Old clothes shops, which thrived
upon the wages of the native gangs
brought to work in the compounds,
booths of Greek, Syrian, and Indian
peddlers, alternating with vacant lots,
lined the sandy track. There were
mean little alleys that extended at
right angles, terminating In shadows.
The moonlight, straggling fitfully
through a bank of clouds, something
rarely seen In the dry season, disclosed
the desert beyond.
Near the outskirts of the town was
a new structure consisting of about a
score of brick houses of uniform height
and a single story each, Joined to form
two sides of a square. On the third
side was another street, with vacant
lots fronting it; on the fourth barbed
wire, and the desert beyond. In the
center was a well. These houses,
which were of the crudest construction,
contained apparently but two rooms
apiece, and the aspect of the whole
construction was dismal beyond imagi-
nation. Only twoior three seemed to
be inhabited, and this fact was. to be
learned by the tin cans and other ref-
use that had bean thrown out from
the doors.
Wlnton turned from the place In dis-
gust and made his way toward the end
of the street, looking upon the desert
Then he perceived two men close be-
hind him. Since the little man was
not one of them, however, he thought
little of the matter, and, as they came
quickly toward blm, he stepped aside
to let them take the harder center of
the roud.
When they were almost abreast of
him they separated, with the evident
intention of passing on either side.
For the first time Winton scented mis-
chief. He put his hand to his pocket,
where lay Ned Burns' revolver. He
had half drawn it when It was dashed
to the ground, and the two leaped at
him.
A stunning blow upon the head from
a wooden baton sent Winton reeling.
He gained his feet Just In time, and
sent the men staggering back with a
couple of blows In the face. They
came at him again. A second blow
on the head felled Wlnton to the
ground. His assailants were upon him,
kicking and pounding him.
One of them put his hand Into his
pocket and drew something forth, hold-
ing it up to his companion with an ex-
ultant cry. It seemed to be a small
stone, wrapped in tissue paper. An
Instant later it lay in the man's palm,
an irregularly shaped pebble, of no
particular luster.
Mlfs the De Witt I" yelled the other,
and, turning to Wlnton, kicked him
again.
"The game's up, my I a J," he shouted.
"We were tipped off aoout you, and
we've got you fair. Are you coming
quietly?"
At first bewildered, Wlnton now dis-
cerned that the men wore the uniform
of the town police. He saw the trap
Into which he had fallen. The little
man had placed the stone in his pocket
while they sat side by side on Uw stoep
of the hotel, on hour before.
He saw tbe consequences. He would
be flung into Jail, held there, and. If not
railroaded to the breakwater by Judge
Davis, at'least prevented from attend-
ant the meeting in the Chamber of
Commerce the following morning. De
Witt had luld his scheme well.
The fury that tilled him at the reali-
zation of his predlcumeut momentarily
puralyzed him. He lay perfectly stUL
One of his assailants stooped over him
and looked into his face.
"You knocked him out for fair, Rob-
erts," he said. "This will mean pro-
motion for us."
"And De Witt'll pay through the
nose. He'll have to," answered the
other meaningly.
"There was some papers we was to
look for," said his companion.
The two were off their guard as Wln-
ton sprang. But he rather seemed to
fly from his supine position to his feet
with an instantaneous co-ordination of
movements. Before the amazed police
could meet his onslaught he had
sftutched the baton from the one who
had struck him down, and brought It
crashing down on his skull. The man
dropped upon his hands and knees,
moaning, and began crawling with ap-
parently aimless movements, this way
and that.
The second policeman, who did not
lack pluck, had time to draw his
truncheon and attack Winton, who
dodged in under a blow which glanced
harmlessly off his arm, and landed his
list full on'his mouth. The man stum-
bled aid fell, and Wlnton turned and
ran like the wind, making for one of
the dark alleys that led out to the
roud. As be ran he heard the crack
of revolver shots behind him, followed
by the police whistle, and cries for
help. The man had picked up Ned
Burns' revolver and fired, but the bul-
lets did not go anywhere near Wlnton.
and the policeman's act in tiring, and
his delaying the pursuit to summon as-
sistance gave the fugitive time to dart
out of sight around the corner.
Winton had been something of s
sprinter at college. He knew he could
probably outdistance the best of the
police force. But he heard answering
whistles before him and shouting. He
Inferred that he wus running toward
the police station. He saw another
alley mouth open beside an empty ped-
dler's wagon, and darted down.
The street was empty, but the moon
now rode high in the sky, lighting up
the town more brightly than an Instal-
lation of electric lights might have
done. Winton had baffled his pursuers
for the moment, but tliey were all about
him; the trap had been well set, and
in fact pairs of police had been sta-
tioned at tlie ends of all the streets
leading into the desert. He was like
trapped rat, rushing blindly from
alley to tlley, and, what was worst,
the foreign population of the district
was waking from the early sleep In-
duced by Its activities of the day. As
Wlnton ran an Indian fired deliberately
at him from a window. The wind of
the bullet whistled upon his neck. And
the shouts were growing louder on all
sides.
Winton was reeling from weakness
as he ran. lie had not realized how
strong an effort he had made to pull
| himself together after the two stun-
1 ning blows. Something was dripping
into his eyes; he put his hand up and
was amazed to find it covered with
blood.
At last he halted, breathless. He
was In an alley blocked now at the
end behind him by his pursuers. They
had not seen him as he ran In the
shadow of some booths, but the yells
of the Indians apprised Wlnton that his
course was accurately known. Before
him a street ran at right angles, and
somewhere In this another group was
racing to cut him off.
He looked up in despair, and then
discovered that he had run round the
circumference of a large circle. In
front of him was the square which ha
hud passed Immediately before the at-
tack on him. He was approaching
from the third side of It, and Ills only
chance of escape lay into the desert,
bright as day under the hard moon-
light.
WRIGLEYS
after jtvery meal
Cleanse* month and
teeth and alda digestion.
Relieves that over-
eaten feeling and acid
month.
lis I-s-s-t-I-n-o flavor
satisfies the craving for
sweets.
Wrlgley's fs donble
value In the benefit and
pleasure it provides.
Sealed in its Parity
She flavor
III
lasts
Rare Opportunity
to
Make More Money
The blgtftit bu.sinesH In the world; the moil
meritorious hUMirietta In the world; the eafeat
buninofts in the world is the line that we are
eelling. We need an intelligent man 01
woman In your community to represent un.
F. K. <iUmore. fienrrHl Asrent. Italian, Tex.
It takes a woman to make every
word tell when It comes to Imparting
secrets.
"I am the president of the
Big Malopo company."
<TO Bis CONTINUED !
Life in China.
In nearly all Chinese cities a large
percentage of the inhabitants live in
a sort of hand-to-mouth fashion, buy-
ing food from restaurants. Hot water
is sold from stands by people who
make a business of providing It. The
great necessity for economy in fuel
seems to be the primary cuuse of thli
mode of llvlBg.
Origin of "Best Man."
Tradition relates that a best man
was employed In the stone age. The
bridegroom swooped down upon ftie
home the bride and slole flet
away whin. the best man diverted the
attention ot the bride's fattm.
Vanity.
What renders the vanity of other*
Insupportable is tliut si wo<;bU* ou
•>wn.
Mothers, Do This—
When the Children Cough, Rub
Musterole on Throats and Chests
No telling how soon the symptoms
may develop into croup, or worse. And
then's when you're glad you have a
jar of Musterole at hand to give
prompt relief. It does not blister.
As first aid, Musterole is excellent.
Thousands of mothers know it. You
should keep a jar ready for instant use.
It is the remedy for adults, too. Re-
lieves sore throat, bronchitis, tonsillitis,
croup, stiff neck, asthma, • neuralgia,
headache, congestion, pleurisy, rheu-
matism, lumbago, pain3 and aches of
back or joints, sprains, sore muscles,
chilblains, frosted feet and colds of the
chest (it may prevent pneumonia).
To Mothers: Musterole is now
made in milder form for
babies and small children.
Ask for Children's Musterole.
35c and 65c, jars
Better than a mustard plaster
It is u great job sometimes to pin
a charming personality down to sin-
cerity.
Hall's Catarrb
Medicine SifTv:
rid your system of Catarrh or Dcafnesi
caused by Catarrh.
Sold by druggist! for over 40 ytart
F. J. CHENEY & CO., Toledo, Ohio
iemortw jjMlghfc
KEEPING WELL An N? Tablet
(* vegetable aperient) taken at
night will help keep you well, by
•oning and strengthening your di-
gestion and elimination.
Used for over
iOVears
Oet a
25'BOX
Chips off "Hie Old Block
N? JUNIORS—Little (tie
One-third the regular dose. Mads
of the same ingredients, then candy
contcd. For children and adults.
mm SOLD BY YOUR DRUGGISTm
Sleep in Comfort
Jessie Durham of Winnfield, La,
writes: "I was affected with bladder
trouble, and took a few bottles of
Hobo Kidney & Bladder Remedy and
wus relieved." If you are bothered at
night with your kidneys get a bottle
of Hobo Kidney & Bladder Remedy
today from your druggist. Write for
the free story. Hobo Medicine Co.,
Beaumont, Texas.
Shave With
Cuticura Soap
The New Way
Without Mug
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Banger, J. E. A. & Erwin, W. L. The Cass County Sun (Linden, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 10, Ed. 1 Tuesday, March 4, 1924, newspaper, March 4, 1924; Linden, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth340821/m1/3/?rotate=90: accessed June 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Atlanta Public Library.